


Empty Juice Cartons, Cold Showers & Hershey’s Kisses

by EiriniThalassa



Category: Grey's Anatomy, Station 19 (TV)
Genre: A little angst, F/F, Fluff, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-15
Updated: 2020-08-15
Packaged: 2021-03-05 23:00:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,202
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25923232
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EiriniThalassa/pseuds/EiriniThalassa
Summary: Just like the title says. An argument resolved.
Relationships: Maya Bishop/Carina DeLuca
Comments: 6
Kudos: 301





	Empty Juice Cartons, Cold Showers & Hershey’s Kisses

**Author's Note:**

> I was bored and this happened. Hope you like it. :)
> 
> I don't own the characters.

“ _Non ci posso credere! E’ vuoto anche questo e l’ha messo nel frigo._ _Ancora! E’ incredibile!_ **(I can’t believe this! This one is empty too, and she’s put it back into the fridge. Again! It’s unbelievable!)** How hard is it to remember not to put an empty juice carton back into the refrigerator?!” Dr. Carina DeLuca fumed as she threw the offending item into the trash, opened another carton, and poured its contents into a glass.

It was a Thursday morning of an incredibly hectic week at work, and she was already at the end of both her patience and her strength. However, she was not the only one in that condition. Her girlfriend of ten, and live-in girlfriend of four months; Fire Captain Maya Bishop, was pretty much in the same boat. As she entered the kitchen as well, her expression matched Carina’s, almost perfectly.

“I guess it’s about as hard as it is to remember not to use up all the hot water as you’re no longer living alone, and there are others that have to take a shower before work, as well.” she retorted as she walked toward the cupboard without even looking at the brunette. “And, I’m sorry I didn’t have the clarity of mind to throw away the carton last night. I came home close to midnight, and I was exhausted.”

Carina walked over to the table and sat down, completely ignoring Maya’s last comment. She knew she had to, because she had been just as exhausted the night before. She had come in some forty minutes before Maya, but by the time the blonde came, she had already been fast asleep – something that almost never happened because they usually waited for one another to come home before going to sleep. And, the mere fact that she had not managed to do that, attested to just how exhausted she had been. She, however, had decided to bite her remark down, because the last thing she wanted was to have a full-blown fight with Maya, first thing in the morning before work.

A few moments later - also in silence - Maya joined her, taking her seat.They continued to eat in silence – Carina a toast she had made for herself and Maya her cereal. It was very unusual for them not to speak to each other, especially in the morning, and they both hated it.

However, neither was willing to budge. And the only time the silence was broken, was when Carina asked…

“Are we sharing a cab this morning?” Sometimes, when their shifts began, more or less at the same time, they would share a ride to work.

“No, I have to leave, now. Crap!” Maya swore, jumping up from her chair. “I’m already late! We have some brass coming in this morning to inspect the Station, and I have to be there earlier than usual!”

And so, they had parted without their usual goodbye kiss, making a very dismal morning even worse for both of them.

About an hour and a half later, Carina was sitting behind her office desk. She was looking at some brain scans on the monitor in front of her, but she really was not seeing much. She simply could not concentrate. All she could think about was Maya. On her way to work, her already sour mood had become even worse because their little “spat” kept playing in her head on a loop, and every time she went over it, it seemed worse. She hated arguing with Maya, and she knew the blonde felt the same. They both had highly stressful jobs and they were both passionate individuals, which meant that occasional arguments were bound to happen. But, they both preferred to sort them out as soon as possible because they had learned - the hard way - that every moment in life was precious. Carina turned on her chair, reached into her pocket and took out her phone. She knew that calling Maya was out of the question – before she ran out, she had mentioned something about some inspection this morning. So, she decided to do the next best thing – text her.

‘ _I hate arguing with you, bella. And, I hate it when we leave home without a goodbye kiss. Hope we can make up for it tonight. P.S. I hope the inspection went well – although, I have no doubt it did - as always! P.S. #2 I promise I’ll do my best to save some hot water for you in the future. Ti amo, C.’_

As she hit send, her pager went off. _9-1-1 - Emergency delivery._ She got up and hurried to meet the patient, actually glad that she would not be able to think about the argument for some time.

****

“Why the long face? You should be pretty pleased with yourself right about now. The brass couldn’t have been happier with the Station – we passed with flying colors! Oh, wait… Don’t tell me, no text and/or calls from Carina?” Andy quipped as she walked up to an oblivious Maya.

The blonde was standing at the counter in the beanery, her phone in hand. The Station inspection had just finished – everything went smoothly – and everybody was still high-fiving themselves for a job well done. She had commended them all on a job well done, but excused herself soon after. While she was proud of their good work and the praises they had received from the higher-ups, she was still feeling bad about the morning’s argument with Carina. And she had been so lost in thought that she had not even heard Andy approach her. As a result, she was startled.

“What?!” she gasped, looking up, almost dropping her phone.

“Sorry, Maya… Didn’t mean to startle you.” Andy offered apologetically, looking at her friend and Captain.

“It’s OK, Andy. Don’t worry about it.” Maya returned, finding her bearings again.

“So, what’s wrong? Trouble in paradise? Because I know that not many things would have you so distracted that you wouldn’t even hear me come up to you. Worried, maybe. Pissed off, definitely; but distracted - no way! And, especially not after this morning.” she noted with a knowing grin.

Maya sighed. She hated letting her negative feelings show, even in front of her friends, which Andy certainly was - but the accumulated exhaustion and the stress of this inspection, coupled with the fact that she absolutely hated fighting with Carina; made her not care about that at that moment.

“This week has been hell for both Carina and I.” she said. “We’ve been overworked, overstressed and exhausted, and had barely seen each other since Monday. As a result, we’re extremely short-tempered, which made us almost bite each other’s heads off this morning before work.”

“Well, I hate to break it to you, Bishop, but that’s pretty much business as usual for the rest of us mortals. Nice to know you two have finally joined the club, as well.” Andy remarked meaningfully. She was genuinely glad about her friend finally being in a committed, fulfilling relationship, but this lovey-dovey aspect of the usually tough-as-nails Maya - when it came to Dr. DeLuca - was still new to Andy and she liked to tease the blonde about it on occasion.

Maya, however, did not share Andy’s amusement about the teasing. Especially not at that moment. “You’re a real riot, Andy, you know that!?” she retorted.

“Oh, c’mon, Maya… Don’t be like that!” Andy returned, good-naturedly. “It’s not a big deal. I’m sure that, by the time you come home tonight, it’ll all be forgotten. And, besides, if it bugs you that much, call her! If you want some privacy, I’ll leave you alone.”

Maya shook her head. “No. I’ll go into my office. Thanks.”

“Well, for what it’s worth, I’m sure you guys are gonna work it out, no problem.” Andy said earnestly.

“It was stupid, really. I put an empty juice carton back into the fridge and she used up all the hot water.”

Andy tried – but failed - to stifle a laugh. “I’m sorry.” she offered apologetically. “But, you two sound like an old married couple.”

If Maya had not been so aggravated by the fact that she and Carina had fought, she would have admitted that Andy had a point. As things stood, however, that was not the case.

“You’re the one to talk!” she retorted. “A few days ago, when you and Sullivan had a fight, and I asked you what was wrong; you did not even dignify me with an answer - you just walked by me like I wasn’t even there, so please…!”

By the end of her sentence, her blue eyes were twinkling with challenge. As she noticed Andy blush, she grinned triumphantly.

“Well, we were in the middle of a discussion when he got an urgent call from the Assistant Chief and he had to leave.” the Lieutenant tried. “ _And we are_ actually _married.”_ she thought to herself without voicing it, however.

“Oh, you were _discussing_ , were you? Not fighting, discussing. I see...” Now, Maya teased. “And, what was the _discussion_ about? Was it about him not putting the toilet seat back down? Oh, I’ve struck a nerve, have I?” she chuckled as Andy shot daggers at her. “Well, if it makes you feel any better, there’s an easy fix for that – you buy one of those seats that goes back down by itself.”

“I’m glad you find this amusing, Bishop!” Andy retorted dryly.

Maya was about to respond when her phone beeped. She looked at it, and immediately, a huge smile spread across her face.

“I don’t even have to ask who the text is from.” Andy said, her expression changing as well.

At that instant, the fire alarm went off. Both women immediately started walking.

“Nope, you don’t. But, thanks, though. Talking to you helped, too.” Maya said earnestly, looking at her friend.

“Glad to be of service, Bishop!” Andy deadpanned, her eyes smiling. “The only thing I ask for is discretion."

"Don’t worry, your secret’s safe with me!” the Fire Captain promptly returned, lowering her voice. “Though, if I were you, I’d really look into those self-adjusting toilet seats. You never know!” she went on to say with a wink just as they joined the Team, already getting into their trucks.

“So, are you gonna tell me what’s bothering you, or do I have to ask?” Amelia Shepard asked, looking at Carina as the two of them sat at the hospital cafeteria.

Carina’s emergency delivery had gone without a hitch, and both the mother and the newborn were doing well. The delivery had finished some twenty minutes earlier, and Carina was currently finishing eating her lunch with Amelia.

“Maya and I had an argument this morning.” the brunette said in response to Amelia’s question.

Amelia shook her head, smiling. “And?” she asked.

“And, I don’t like leaving things unresolved between us.” the Italian returned. “Especially, if we had an argument.”

“Well, from personal experience - sometimes, it’s better just to leave things to blow over, and then, simply move on. Especially, minor arguments as it appears to be the case here.” Amelia remarked knowingly.

“Doesn’t work with us. We are both too temperamental for that. Keeping things in is not our style. For better or worse!” Carina quipped with a small smile.

Amelia chuckled. “Fair point. So, you feel like telling me what happened?”

“We argued because she had put an empty juice carton back into the fridge, and I had used up all the hot water.”

Now, Amelia had to bite the inside of her cheek to stop herself from laughing out loud, and she was glad that it had worked, because she knew Carina would not have appreciated her laughing.

Despite her outgoing personality, the Italian was a very private person and Amelia knew that, and that was why she also knew that Carina answering her question was actually a big deal; and she certainly did not want to jeopardize the brunette’s trust by trivializing it.

“I’m sure it will all have been forgotten by the time you two get home tonight, Carina.” she offered earnestly. “Don’t worry about it!”

The Italian smiled sarcastically in response. "Well, the way things have been going this week, you are probably right, because chances are that we won’t be getting home at the same time, and by the time the other one gets in; the one that got in first, will already be sleeping.” she remarked, wearily.

“Tough week at the office?” Amelia returned more as a statement than a question – she knew for a fact that it was.

“You can say that again!”

“Well, that’s what you get when you put two hard-working professionals together. Again, speaking from experience.”

“I suppose you’re right.” Carina returned. _‘Poteva almeno rispondere al messaggio, pero!’_ **(But, she still could have replied to my message!)** she thought to herself

She did not expect a lengthy reply, or even an immediate one. But, it had been over two hours since she had sent her that message; and at least an emoji or an ILY2 would have been nice. Because, she knew Maya had seen the message and the fact that there had been no reply, worried her. Maybe this argument was a bigger deal than she thought.

 _“Carina… Carina… Hey, do you hear me?”_ She was suddenly startled by Amelia’s voice, and she realized she must have zoned out. “Oh, I am sorry, Amelia. What were you saying?”

Amelia smiled. “Nothing important, really. I can understand that you’re not in the best mood today, but I have a feeling that’s about to change.”

Carina was about to ask why, but before she could she heard a familiar voice approach from behind.

“Hey, guys! Sorry for interrupting, I just came to see if I could talk to Carina for a few minutes.”

Immediately, her face lit up. She turned and was met with a smiling Maya. _‘Bene, non e’ arrabbiata._ **(Good… She’s not angry.)** _’_

“No, you’re not interrupting, at all. In fact, I was just about to leave. I have things that I need to do.” Amelia said, standing up. “It’s nice seeing you again, Maya.”

“You too, Amelia.”

“See you later, Carina!”

“See you. And, thank you, Amelia!”

As Amelia walked away, Maya stepped closer and kissed Carina’s cheek. “Hi.” she said as she pulled a chair closer to Carina and sat down.

“Hi, yourself!” the brunette returned, melting at the gesture. “What are you doing here?”

“Well, I got your message and I thought I’d answer it in person.” Maya said, returning the smile. “I hope that’s OK.” After the Team’s latest call, she had decided to drop by the hospital.

“It’s more than OK, bella. I’m very happy that you came.” Carina said softly.

Maya laced their fingers together. “I hate arguing with you and leaving without a goodbye kiss, too. And, I’m sorry for not replying to your text, but we got a call just as I received it, and I just couldn’t reply sooner.”

“ _Non ti preoccupare, amore._ **(Don’t worry about it, love.)** Your coming here more than makes up for it!”

“I’m glad. And for the record, I’ll do my best to throw out the empty cartons from now on. And, I love you, too. Oh, and I’ve brought you these…” Maya said, using her free hand to take something out of her jacket pocket.

As she opened her palm, Carina’s smile grew even bigger. “Hershey’s kisses… I love them!”

“I know you do. And, I know it’s not the same as the real ones, but I was hoping they would suffice until we come home. If we both actually manage to get home before ten, and stay awake, that is.” Maya pointed out meaningfully. 

Carina leaned in and gave Maya a quick, but loving peck on the lips. “Oh, I think we should. I should be home by six, seven at the latest tonight. And, I fully expect those non-chocolate kisses you just promised me!” she said, her brown eyes twinkling

Suddenly Maya’s mood improved even further. “Oh, you’ll be getting’ them, babe. Believe me!” she returned meaningfully, instantly increasing Carina’s heartbeat. “I should be home by five.”

“Be careful there, Maya! I’ll hold you to that!” the brunette cautioned.

“I expect nothing less of you, Car!” the blonde returned, grinning.

They stayed like that - looking into each other’s eyes and smiling - for a few more moments. Then, Carina asked: “Have you had lunch, yet?”

“Yes. I had a turkey sandwich before I came to see you.”

“And, the inspection… How did it go?”

“Really well, actually. They were so pleased that they’d actually given everyone extra five personal days.” Maya stated, proudly.

“As I’ve said – I had no doubt!” Carina smiled. “But, tell me… with these extra five, how many personal days is that for you now in total – 282?

Maya laughed earnestly. “That’s sounds about right, yeah!”

“Any chance of you using some of them in the near future?” Carina asked.

Maya grinned. “I might be persuaded. Why?”

“Well, because, I’ve just realized that we haven’t had two consecutive uninterrupted days to ourselves, since we the day we moved into the house. And, I think we finally should.”

Maya nodded. “I agree. I’ll see what I can do about next week. How does that sound?”

“Perfect!”

“You wanna go somewhere?”

Carina shook her head. “Not really. I just want us to spend a few days relaxing and together. And, we still have a few things for the house that we need to buy.”

Maya beamed, but Carina’s next words immediately put a damper on it. “And, no, we are not buying a table football.”

“But, why not?!” Maya countered.

“Because we are grown women and we don’t need a game room. And, I am certainly not going to buy something that takes up literally half of the room, and serves no real purpose.” the brunette replied calmly.

“Oh, and a treadmill is OK?” the blonde promptly challenged.

Carina nodded. “Of course it is. First of all, it doesn’t take up as much space, and secondly, it is actually useful. It helps you stay in shape.”

“Well, here’s a thought… You can also stay in shape by actually going for a run outside with me.” Maya now teased. “Not to mention that there are other activities, much more fun than a treadmill, that help keep you in shape just as efficiently – if not even more so.”

A suggestive smirk formed in the corner of Carina’s mouth, but just as she was about to respond, her pager went off. “I’m sorry, bella, but I am needed in the ER.”

They both stood up.

“Fine, but the foosball-treadmill discussion isn’t over, yet!” Maya noted meaningfully.

Carina put the three Hershey’s kisses Maya had brought her into her pocket and smiled. “We’ll see. Thank you for the Hershey’s kisses.”

“You’re welcome.” Maya said, giving her a quick kiss on the lips. “See you at home. I love you!”

“Ti amo anch’io. Ci vediamo a casa. **(I love you, too. See you at home.)** ”

And with that, they parted - smiling and happy. Their disagreement from that morning, nothing but a fading thought.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading. Happy weekend, everyone! :)


End file.
